Satellite radio is a popular audio option for consumers who love to listen to a wide variety of programming and enjoy the high quality sound that comes with it. Satellite radio broadcasts its content over clear, static-free digital signals from orbiting satellites and requires a monthly subscription to use. It’s also a great way to stay up to date on the latest news and sports events in the car.
Using a satellite radio receiver, the digital signal is decoded by a processor that transmits an analog signal to your vehicle’s head unit. From there, the satellite radio signal is combined with a terrestrial (AM/FM) signal and sent through a digital-to-analog converter to create an FM or AM-quality signal. The resulting signal is transmitted over a Satellite Radio Access Transport (SRT) interface to the head unit, where it is mixed with an antenna signal and sent to your radio speakers for listening.
There have been three major satellite radio providers in the United States: WorldSpace, Sirius and XM, who merged in 2008 to form Sirius XM Radio. All three of these companies offer a service that broadcasts across the country and around the world with hundreds of channels featuring commercial-free music, talk radio, news and sports.
While satellite radio offers a lot of benefits, there are some disadvantages that you should consider before making the decision to purchase this technology. It’s important to note that satellite radio requires a compatible head unit or portable satellite tuner and a monthly subscription in order to receive its programming.
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